*** Democracies Online Newswire - http://www.e-democracy.org/do *** From: http://www.prnewswire.com/ American Citizens Gain Historic Opportunity to Suggest Topics for 2000 Presidential Debates Nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates Taps New Technologies To Broaden Voter Involvement AT&T, Harris Interactive, 3COM, Sun Microsystems, and Others Commit Resources & Online Expertise WASHINGTON, July 26 /PRNewswire/ -- The nonpartisan, nonprofit Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), which sponsors and produces the general election debates, today announced that American citizens can now use the Internet to suggest topics for the 2000 presidential and vice-presidential debates. While final question selection will remain the decision of the independent debate moderator, citizens now have a tool for making their preferences known. This effort is part of a variety of Commission-sponsored online initiatives whose goal is to more fully engage and educate voters during this year's debates. "We are excited by the promise the Internet holds for fulfilling our mission to educate, inform, and involve the American people in the democratic process," said Frank Fahrenkopf, CPD co-chair. "We strongly believe technology can expand the ways in which citizens learn about issues central to the debates and the election." Through its Web site (http://www.debates.org) and the sites of its national nonprofit partners, the CPD today invites all Americans to complete a questionnaire designed to identify issues they would like discussed at the three presidential debates and one vice-presidential debate this October. Citizens' suggestions will be given to the moderator of the first debate well in advance of that event. The CPD's initiative draws on the expertise and resources of some of the nation's leading technology companies, including AT&T, Sun Microsystems, 3COM, Harris Interactive, and others. Voter Education Leadership Team Starting today, citizens can access the online survey through http://www.debates.org. In the coming weeks they will also be able to access the survey through the Web sites of the CPD's Voter Education Leadership Team, which is comprised primarily of nonprofit organizations representing a national cross-section of constituencies. They include: -- AARP, formerly American Association of Retired Persons (http://www.aarp.org) -- AcademicPlanet.com (http://www.academicplanet.com) -- American Federation of Teachers (http://www.aft.org) -- Lifetime Television: Every Woman Counts (http://www.lifetimetv.com/election/every_woman_counts.html) -- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (http://www.naacp.org) -- National Council on La Raza (http://www.nclr.org) -- Rock the Vote (http://www.rockthevote.org) -- U.S. Chamber of Commerce (http://www.uschamber.org) -- YWCA (http://www.ywca.org) The CPD is also working closely with Breakaway Technologies, Freedom Channel, and KidsVoting USA to build innovative educational programs around the debates. CPD's co-chair Paul Kirk expressed appreciation for the voter education partners' contributions to this project. "Each of these partners performs an important role in ensuring wide participation among Americans of different ages, backgrounds, and beliefs. The CPD will continue to solicit the involvement of even more organizations to ensure broad access to the surveys and other online features by the American public." Other Online Activities In September, the CPD's Voter Education Leadership Team expects to announce a series of online, moderated election forums on issues relevant to their respective constituencies. These forums are designed to 'engage citizens in the discussion of issues that will be featured in the 2000 presidential election. "Candidates use debates to speak to citizens," said Janet H. Brown, CPD executive director. "Effective use of technology now enables citizens to respond to the debaters, and encourages citizen-to-citizen discussion of the issues being debated." In addition to the pre-debate survey and election forums, the Internet project also features: -- Post-debate surveys, which will enable citizens to assess the value of each debate, describe how it shaped their opinions of the candidates and the issues, and propose additional topics for upcoming debates; -- Quick Vote, an informal weekly election poll providing voters a way to express their views on issues affecting the electoral process; -- DebateChats, which will encourage citizens to share their reactions after the debates in real-time; -- Video library, where citizens and the media will access issue or candidate information discussed during the presidential debates; and -- Sign-up information on DebateWatch 2000, the CPD's national voter education program. DebateWatch brings citizens together in their communities to watch and discuss the debates, and to share that feedback with the CPD. Technology Advisory Board To accomplish its goals, the CPD turned to a number of the country's most highly regarded technology companies, which have donated resources and expertise. These companies came together to form a Technology Advisory Board whose members include: -- Kathleen Earley, President of AT&T Data and Internet Services -- Gordon S. Black, Harris Interactive Chairman and CEO -- Eric Benhamou, 3Com Chairman and CEO -- Hal Stern, Chief Technology Officer, iPlanet E-Commerce Solutions, a Sun-Netscape Alliance -- John Whittaker, Zone of Trust President -- Dominic Orr, Alteon Websystems President and CEO Harris Interactive is developing the survey questionnaires and methodology that will capture respondents' ideas and opinions. The Rochester-based Internet market research firm will also tabulate and analyze the results. "This is a tremendous opportunity for the American public to actively participate in the 2000 presidential debates. We're particularly proud to contribute our own technological achievements to advance the electoral process and to be a part of this milestone in our nation's voting and polling history," said Gordon Black, CEO, Harris Interactive. The Web site will be hosted at the AT&T Internet Data Center based in Redwood City, Calif., directly linked to AT&T's high-performing OC48/192 IP backbone. By hosting the site at the center and using AT&T's recently launched intelligent content distribution services, the Web site's performance and security are greatly improved, enabling users easy and fast access to various aspects of the Web site. "The Presidential debates have always played an important role in voters' decision-making process. AT&T is working with the Commission on Presidential Debates to use the power of the Internet to make the debates a more interactive experience for the millions of U.S. citizens watching," said Kathleen Earley, AT&T President of Data and Internet Services. In addition, a high-speed networking infrastructure enabled by 3Com and Harris Interactive will instantly and securely carry voters' concerns to the CPD. "We are pleased to be working closely with the Commission on Presidential Debates to bring to life one of the largest pre-election surveys in democratic history," said Eric Benhamou, 3Com Chairman and CEO. "Simple, rich connectivity will continue to play a crucial role throughout future elections, tapping into the nation's collective voice to elevate citizens' true concerns into the national conversation." Other companies making the CPD's internet project possible include Alteon WebSystems, which is supplying content-intelligent web switches, Sun Microsystems, and Zone of Trust, which is supplying managed security services and firewall software. About Commission on Presidential Debates The Commission on Presidential Debates was established in 1987 to ensure that debates, as a permanent part of every general election, provide the best possible information to viewers and listeners. Its primary purpose is to sponsor and produce debates for the United States presidential and vice presidential candidates and to undertake research and education activities relating to the debates. The organization, which is a nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation, sponsored all the debates in 1988, 1992, and 1996. SOURCE Commission on Presidential Debates Web Site: http://www.debates.org ^ ^ ^ ^ Steven L. 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